Atlanta Falcons vs. San Francisco 49ers: To-Do Checklist for Week 15

2 of 4

Dec 11, 2016; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Atlanta Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan (2) is congratulated by Atlanta Falcons head coach Dan Quinn after a touch down in the third quarter of the game against the Los Angeles Rams at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports /

#3. Put The Game To Rest Early

The Rams win came fairly easy for the Atlanta Falcons. The Niners contest should be carried out in the same manner.

The 49ers have six losses this season of 17 or more points, with five of those losses coming on the road. The Niners are also 31st in the league in point differential at an average of -10.9 points a game. In other words, San Francisco struggles to score (26th in scoring offense), struggles to stop teams from scoring (32nd in scoring defense), and find themselves in a hole fairly quickly.

The Falcons jumped out to a 21-0 halftime lead then flooded the scoreboard with 21 points in the third quarter and entered the final stanza up 42-0 with all hope being lost for the Rams.

The same needs to occur this week as well. This time of year, the playoff teams usually have a game such as this on their schedule and they leave little mercy. I keep modest to fair expectations for the Falcons but this contest should show a clear disparity between the two teams. A similar first half such as the one against the Rams or better should occur to put 49ers out of this one early.

Home/Atlanta Falcons News